CAPE TOWN - Festive season roads deaths are down in the Western Cape and authorities said it's due to the use of smart enforcement technology.

On Monday, the Western Cape Transport and Public Works Department and provincial traffic authorities briefed the media on the season's statistics.

Two hundred and forty-six people were killed in road accidents in the Western Cape in December and January.

It's a 6% decrease compared to the last festive season.

In a first this season, a full complement of various technologies has been used to boost law enforcement operations across the province.

This included handheld devices that can verify licenses.

Transport MEC Donald Grant said: "It is clear the difference that deploying smart enforcement technologies has made over this past festive season, all contributing to the decrease in the number of lives lost over this period."

Pedestrian deaths saw the biggest drop, going from 104 to 91.

About 640 people were arrested during the festive season for various offences, ranging from excessive speeding to false documentation.